Card-index and document-filing device for file units



Feb. 28, 1928.

M. A. THOMETZ CARD INDEX AND DOCUMENT FILING DEVICE FOR FILE UNITS Filed April 25. 1925 Patented Feb. 28, 192a.

UNITED STATES MATHIAS ANTHONY THOMETZ, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE KOHLHAAS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

CARD-INDEX AND DOCUMENT-FILING DEVICE FOR FILE UNITS.

Application filed April 25, 1925. Serial No. 25,843. I

This invention relates to card index or document filing devices of the type wherein the cards or documents or av mixture of both, are clamped between a back-plate and a follower plate for the purpose of excluding dust and, in some instances, for preventing displacement of cards or documents by sudden gusts of wind upon opening doors or windows.

In devices of this character, the back-plate is usually vertically disposed so that the cards or documents or both are similarly disposed when the follower plate is moved into clamping position. Such devices include index-tab cards containing the several letters of the alphabet or other matter serving as a guide to filing of cards or documents and these tabs can be best read when disposed in a backwardly inclinedposition. \Vhen disposed in front of a vertical back-plate or Wall, the cards will be vertically disposed only when forcibly held in that position but when not so held will incline forwards and must then be digitally held in vertical position by the user in order that the tabs may be conveniently read. This is both annoying and time-wasting.

The follower plates for such devices have heretofore, as far as I am informed, eonsisted of fiat plates, one plane face of which bears upon the foremost card or document of the lot disposed before the back-plate. In ordinary manufacture and following wear on the clutch or clutches of the follower plate, the inner face of the latter cannot be disposed or .maintained parallel with the front face of the back-plate so that its pressure is exerted either only along the top or along the bottom edge with undesirable results.

It is also objectionable because of the fact that the large surface opposed to the foremost. card or document occasions a suction tending to cause said card or document to adhere to the follower plate, as the latter is moved away, and then to topple and thus sometimes become folded, creased and jammedbetween said follower plate and the remainder of the contents of the file.

The objects of the present invention are to provide means whereby the foregoing ob jections and disadvantages are obviated, the manner in which these objects are attained being hereinafter fully described and being illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a card index device constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the device, the follower plate and cards or documents being omitted.

The device illustrated is a type of card index or document file of the unhoused type found on many oflice desks. The invention may be very conveniently described in its embodiment in this type of device without limitation to other embodiment within the definition of the appended claims, its embodiment in the housed type or types of filing devices being readily accomplished by those skilled in the art without special illustration or description to guide them.

The clamping type of document, filing or card index device includes one or more usually horizontally disposed steel rods 1 rigidly secured atone end to a back wall or plate 2. The latter in the instance illustrated, comprises a fiat plate of sheet metal equipped on its rear face with as many reinforcing strips 3 of a relatively heavy sheet metal as there are rods 1. In the instance illus tratcd there are two parallel rods 1 and two of said strips 3 which depend below the lower edge of the plate 2. The parts of the depending portion of said strips are disposed perpendicular and the remaining portions of the strips extend throughout at a rearwardly inclination from the top of said perpendicular parts and these latter are provided with openings for the passage of the shanks of the screws 4 which engage in threaded sockets formed in the rear ends of the rods which abut against the front faces of the aperture perpendicular portions of said strips 3, and by this arrangement the bars and strips are firmly clamped in place. By setting up the strips in the manner as stated the plate 2 is supported in a rearwardly extending inclined position relative to the horizontal plane of the rods 1, and these latter may conveniently constitute the arms of a U-shaped frame member, the middle portion 5 of which is covered with rubber tubing and is offset downwardly from the said plane of the rods 1' or arms for coaction with the extreme lower ends of the strips 3 to support the rods 1 or arms at a ('ODVtlllPIlt elevation, this being necessary in the case of desk-top devices and constituting no part of the present invention.

The follower plate (3 is mainly plane but has its upper edge portion bent to form preferably a. rearwardly inclined and upwardly directed ogee curved flange 7 opposing the plate 2. It is similarly provided with reinforcing strips 8 depending below its lower edge. The lower parts of the depending portions of the strips 8 are bent rearwardly at an inclination and in a direction towards the lower ends of the strips 3. In said bent end portions of the strips 8 are openings of the size and contour necessary to constitute clutches to engage the rods 1 when said bent ends are angularly disposed to the latter as shown to thereby prevent recession of the plate 6 under the in-' fiuence of pressure exerted by the cards or documents clamped between the plate 1 and follower plate 6. This type of clutch is so commonly known that more detailed description thereof will not be required.

Cards or documents or both disposed between the plates 1 and 6, will be normally disposed in convenient and desirable backwardly inclined position as shown even when the follower plate 6 is moved away for access to the tile contents.

When the follower plate is moved to clamping position, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the extreme lower ends of the strips or clutch elements 8 will contact with the lower edge portion of the foremost card while the free edge portion of the flange 7 bears upon the upper edge portion of said card so that the maximum leverage is exerted by the resistance to crowding afforded by the cards to effect very firm and unyielding bite of the clutch elements on the rods 1, there being sufficient give or flexibility in the follower plate structure and usually in the mass of cards and documents to permit ready release of the clutch elex m'ents by pull on the ring 9 while pushing on the upper portion of the follower plate in the usual manner to effect release, the aforesaid leverage bcing necessary to" prevent slippage of the clutch elements such as occurs when the pressure of the tile contents is mainly or entirelyagainst the lower edge portion of the follower plate.

It will be quite obvious from the foregoing that the objects of the invention are attained without the slightest additional manufacturing cost.

I claim as my invention:

A document-filing device comprising a horizontally disposed frame including spaced parallel bars for extension through the tile contents near the bottom thereof, an upstanding rearwardly inclined back plate, strips secured to the rear face and depending below the bottom edge of said plate, the lower part of each strip being perpendicular and apertured, and the remaining part extending rearwardly at an inclination, the said lower parts having their forward faces abutting against the rear ends of said bars, an upwardly extending and rearwardly inclined front plate element having its top formed with a greater rearward inclination, terminating in an upwardly directed flange for engagement with the front of the file near its top, said front element also provided with depending rearwardly inclined apertured portions to engage the bottom of the front of the file below said bars, said portions mounted on and engaging the bars to set up a clutch to hold the front element in position to bind the file contents, and means extending through said perpendicular bars and engaging in the rear ends of the bars for fixedly clamping these latter to the strips.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 16th day of April, 1925.

MATHIAS ANTHONY THOMETZ. 

